We are an existing BMX racing component manufacturer and we are thinking about building some new street & freestyle gears. We have had several requests for these but have not ventured out into this market.
We are looking for your input on what riders look for in these types of gears. If we are going to make them, we would like to know exactly what you want.
I would like to know the popular size ranges, the most popular gear thicknesses, the spindle hole sizes... I know a lot of people use the spacers. Our race gears don't require spacers, they fit the spindle perfectly for a truer run.
Any feedback or input you can provide us with, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help.
Full Version: Need input on New street gear designs
Well for spindle size, you have 22mm (Primo and similar) and 19mm (Profile, etc). I belive the 19mm spindle size is a bit more popular. Although Odyssey has a new crank coming out - the Wombolt that is VERY anticipated. I belive it uses a diff size spindle. May be worth looking into.
Gear sizes - basically 36 & under. Although 36t is already looking to be a bit large/unpopular.
Hope it helps some!
-Bill
Gear sizes - basically 36 & under. Although 36t is already looking to be a bit large/unpopular.
Hope it helps some!
-Bill
Thanks Bill,
We were thinking of 19mm as our standard with the option of 22mm. Gears sizes we are running now are 25t, 28t, 30, & 33t.
We are making prototypes right now out of 3/16" thk. (5mm) material, the same that use for our race gears. Just wanted to get the designs down first. Might turn into a lite version. Ultimately, we plan on making the gears out of 1/4" thk. material with 1/8" tooth thickness.
Thanks again for your input.
Greg
We were thinking of 19mm as our standard with the option of 22mm. Gears sizes we are running now are 25t, 28t, 30, & 33t.
We are making prototypes right now out of 3/16" thk. (5mm) material, the same that use for our race gears. Just wanted to get the designs down first. Might turn into a lite version. Ultimately, we plan on making the gears out of 1/4" thk. material with 1/8" tooth thickness.
Thanks again for your input.
Greg
have some polished and ano products. i hate have to buy something and then polish it out.
Stained Skin,
Good input... we were going to do black, of course, but we weren't sure if the street & freestyle guys liked polished. I want to do some other colors too... black get so boring... need some thoughts on colors.
The idea here is to come up with what you guys want and to have it finished, ready to bolt on and go.
Thanks, Greg
Good input... we were going to do black, of course, but we weren't sure if the street & freestyle guys liked polished. I want to do some other colors too... black get so boring... need some thoughts on colors.
The idea here is to come up with what you guys want and to have it finished, ready to bolt on and go.
Thanks, Greg
If your street sprockets are like your race sprockets, i'll be one of the 1st to buy a 30 tooth one.
Eliminate the spacer or make it a option to get the sprockets without the spacer, they annoy me, if you do use spacers, make sure the spacer is the same thickness as the sprocket, if not, they could mushroom where the spindle boss meets the sprocket and make it not run true.
Do a few annodized colors, maybe some polished ones, I honestly cant think of anyone running a polished sprocket on thier street/park/trail bikes outta all my friends.
What alloy are you gonna use? 7075? 6061? ect ect.
I've been running tree sprockets now for a few years and they use 7075 and they are very nice.
Keep making great products.
Eliminate the spacer or make it a option to get the sprockets without the spacer, they annoy me, if you do use spacers, make sure the spacer is the same thickness as the sprocket, if not, they could mushroom where the spindle boss meets the sprocket and make it not run true.
Do a few annodized colors, maybe some polished ones, I honestly cant think of anyone running a polished sprocket on thier street/park/trail bikes outta all my friends.
What alloy are you gonna use? 7075? 6061? ect ect.
I've been running tree sprockets now for a few years and they use 7075 and they are very nice.
Keep making great products.
Have a look at colours other companies are doing so that way people can co-ordinate parts of choice rather than sticking to one brand. As for polished I like the look but then I'm old school. Recently picked up this Kink one which was ano gold and polished it up. Was easy because the surface was smooth. Tried it with a Fly Bikes one and because of the corrogated surface it wouldn't never have come up as well.
Agree on eliminating the spacer as well.
Agree on eliminating the spacer as well.
Thanks Terrorabbleone & Jarvi,
That's what I'm talkin' about.. I hate the spacers too, that's why our race products don't have them. All of the prototypes I've ran have 19mm (3/4") spindle hole. I know that 22mm is popular as well and we will open the hole up for those that want that size.
Right now we are using 3/16" thk. 6061-T6 for our prototypes to get the designs down. After we settle that, we were thinking of using 1/4" 6061-T6. I know that a lot of the others guys are using 7075-T6 but I'm not sure if the advantage out ways the cost. How much abuse do the street gears take over the race abuse??
Would you be more inclined to buy the product because it is made from 7075, or, is style design, pricing, and of course the manufacturer, a bigger factor. These are the questions that I need to have answered. I don't want to make something that no one wants to buy. That's why I'm coming to you guys.
I've been hearing that the wild colors for street are making a run. Any truth to that?? What colors do you guys see out there now, besides black??
Keep the input coming, together we can make something really special.
Thanks, Greg
That's what I'm talkin' about.. I hate the spacers too, that's why our race products don't have them. All of the prototypes I've ran have 19mm (3/4") spindle hole. I know that 22mm is popular as well and we will open the hole up for those that want that size.
Right now we are using 3/16" thk. 6061-T6 for our prototypes to get the designs down. After we settle that, we were thinking of using 1/4" 6061-T6. I know that a lot of the others guys are using 7075-T6 but I'm not sure if the advantage out ways the cost. How much abuse do the street gears take over the race abuse??
Would you be more inclined to buy the product because it is made from 7075, or, is style design, pricing, and of course the manufacturer, a bigger factor. These are the questions that I need to have answered. I don't want to make something that no one wants to buy. That's why I'm coming to you guys.
I've been hearing that the wild colors for street are making a run. Any truth to that?? What colors do you guys see out there now, besides black??
Keep the input coming, together we can make something really special.
Thanks, Greg
Can't go wrong with blue, red and a good gold (no fool's gold).
So, the street guys go for colors... what about emerald green, deep purple, root beer... let's be creative here.
If you have ever seen our gold products, you know we don't fool around.
thanks pwh4130
If you have ever seen our gold products, you know we don't fool around.
thanks pwh4130
I don't know enough about the 6061 vs 7075 so for me it's about design and brand (to determine quality). Have a look at some other sites such as Fly Bikes, The Shadow Conspiracy and Snafu for some colours. A quick look shows green (appears to be the new blue), gold, red, brown, orange, white, baby blue and ti. Fly and Shadow have some great colours that aren't just primary colours.
7075, a la Tree, is the way to go. Basically, Tree are the best, most durable, truest gears out there. And, for a guy that does sprocket grinds, they stay remarkably straight. I also like their little bolt-on guards and multiple mount points so you can just keep turning the thing around.
Also, I run a 37/13. I know it might not be as cool, but my Stricker has chainstay brakes (which are supposed to take a 30, but it rubs w/a 33). I like a slightly bigger gear because they chunk more...like if you do a disaster on loading dock banks, they actually hit.
Also, if you're down with small runs, it's cool to do in-between sizes so people can tune their gearing to their personal needs...and get their chain length dialed. Everyone wants to run their wheel slammed, but that's not always possible with the "standard" sizes. (Though half-links are always an option.)
Also, I run a 37/13. I know it might not be as cool, but my Stricker has chainstay brakes (which are supposed to take a 30, but it rubs w/a 33). I like a slightly bigger gear because they chunk more...like if you do a disaster on loading dock banks, they actually hit.
Also, if you're down with small runs, it's cool to do in-between sizes so people can tune their gearing to their personal needs...and get their chain length dialed. Everyone wants to run their wheel slammed, but that's not always possible with the "standard" sizes. (Though half-links are always an option.)
Jarvi,
The major difference between 6061 & 7075 is tensile strength. 7075 is a much tougher material. If you take a piece of 6061 and bang it hard against a piece of 7075, you will see not a mark on the 7075 but there will be a huge dent in the 6061. This is why the Aerospace industry uses 7075.
Thanks for pointing me to those websites, gives me something to go on.
Gooser,
I have heard a lot of good things about Tree. Sounds like you're pretty sold on them. Do they use spacers in their gears? We are not planning on using spacers, as this provides the best fit you can have. There is no other way to make it run truer than this.
The sizes we will make are still open. I'm seeing the small sizes are very popular right now but we were also thinking of going up to 39t. Is that too big? I wanted to start at 25t and go 1 tooth at a time to 39t, give the riders some options to do just what you said. Think it's too much?? We may even do customs sizes.
Thank you both for the great input. I will keep you posted on our progress. I have some gears coming back from ano Thurs. (black) with our second design. If you would like to see what they look like, pm me and I'll get a pic to you. Would love to know what you think of the designs.
Thanks again, Greg
The major difference between 6061 & 7075 is tensile strength. 7075 is a much tougher material. If you take a piece of 6061 and bang it hard against a piece of 7075, you will see not a mark on the 7075 but there will be a huge dent in the 6061. This is why the Aerospace industry uses 7075.
Thanks for pointing me to those websites, gives me something to go on.
Gooser,
I have heard a lot of good things about Tree. Sounds like you're pretty sold on them. Do they use spacers in their gears? We are not planning on using spacers, as this provides the best fit you can have. There is no other way to make it run truer than this.
The sizes we will make are still open. I'm seeing the small sizes are very popular right now but we were also thinking of going up to 39t. Is that too big? I wanted to start at 25t and go 1 tooth at a time to 39t, give the riders some options to do just what you said. Think it's too much?? We may even do customs sizes.
Thank you both for the great input. I will keep you posted on our progress. I have some gears coming back from ano Thurs. (black) with our second design. If you would like to see what they look like, pm me and I'll get a pic to you. Would love to know what you think of the designs.
Thanks again, Greg
Man, Greg... you're up and working early!!!
Tree has gone beyond the use of no spacers and come up with this. Still being tested - http://www.treebicycleco.com/images/upload/splinesbig.jpg
Rick,
I saw that last week. Another bike company wanted us to make their gears and he showed me this. What do you think of this concept??
I saw that last week. Another bike company wanted us to make their gears and he showed me this. What do you think of this concept??
Jay,
No rest for the busy bees... have customers to please.
No rest for the busy bees... have customers to please.
The Tree concept - as someone who uses RNC/Primo cranks, I don't like it one bit!
If I used Profiles, I'd totally dig it though. I do have a few thoughts on it. Sprocket bolts are notorious for working loose, causing the sprocket to wobble a bit. Wouldn't the spindle in such a situation eat away at the splines on the sprocket then?
I know teh solution is to stay on top of your bike maint, but that's hard to expect from BMX kids. And some of us adults!
-Bill
If I used Profiles, I'd totally dig it though. I do have a few thoughts on it. Sprocket bolts are notorious for working loose, causing the sprocket to wobble a bit. Wouldn't the spindle in such a situation eat away at the splines on the sprocket then?
I know teh solution is to stay on top of your bike maint, but that's hard to expect from BMX kids. And some of us adults!
-Bill
wds,
First, that was my first comment when I saw the design. The spline idea works well when the two materials are steel. As soon as you replace one of them with alum., something is going to wear... and we all know what.
Second, you are right about the people that run the square spindles. This won't work for them. So if Tree goes this rout, you need to run a spline spindle.
We are just going to stick with the industry standard and hope that the riders don't get bored with the same old thing. I'm hoping that our designs are what will win people over.
Thanks for your input!!
Greg
First, that was my first comment when I saw the design. The spline idea works well when the two materials are steel. As soon as you replace one of them with alum., something is going to wear... and we all know what.
Second, you are right about the people that run the square spindles. This won't work for them. So if Tree goes this rout, you need to run a spline spindle.
We are just going to stick with the industry standard and hope that the riders don't get bored with the same old thing. I'm hoping that our designs are what will win people over.
Thanks for your input!!
Greg
Glad to be of help Gregg. Drivetrains are always sucha touchy area of the bike. I'm always for anything that'll make it run better. I'm currently running a Metal 36t sprocket. Mostly because I like the 5-spoke design of it. I'm not into the wild Profile sprockets.
And as far as colors - I'm a sucker for anything Red Anno.
-Bill
And as far as colors - I'm a sucker for anything Red Anno.
-Bill
I know I mentioned this to you Greg, but I do feel it's worth putting out there for these guys to hash out and offer opinions on. The following is from a shop (mine) perspective:
There are a fair amount of kids out there who ride street that know everything about their bikes; every detail, measurement, etc. But the opposite is also true. Over the course of any given week, I run into a TON of kids that don't have the foggiest idea of what makes their bikes tick. Kids riding street and park with no top end on their headset, missing stem bolts, you name it. These are the same guys that ask me for a part (like a crank spindle) and when I ask what size they need, they look at me like I just asked them to solve a physics problem. 19mm or 22mm, it's all Greek to them.
As a guy who knows my measurements, I sure like the ability to order precision chainwheels that are perfectly drilled to size. I hate spacers. However, in the case of us shops who have to cater to the whim of a kid walking up, seeing something, and wanting it RIGHT now, I'm making an argument for at least some stock to be sold with spacers. A lot of the kids I come in contact with don't want to order anything- if they have a $20 in their hand, it's getting spent that day. If the product isn't in the case, they're out of there.
Most shops aren't going to want to stock dual sku's (spindle sizes) in one particular manufacturers gear. You know I will, but there will be a lot who'll opt for the easier route. That'll impact your sales for sure.
There are a fair amount of kids out there who ride street that know everything about their bikes; every detail, measurement, etc. But the opposite is also true. Over the course of any given week, I run into a TON of kids that don't have the foggiest idea of what makes their bikes tick. Kids riding street and park with no top end on their headset, missing stem bolts, you name it. These are the same guys that ask me for a part (like a crank spindle) and when I ask what size they need, they look at me like I just asked them to solve a physics problem. 19mm or 22mm, it's all Greek to them.
As a guy who knows my measurements, I sure like the ability to order precision chainwheels that are perfectly drilled to size. I hate spacers. However, in the case of us shops who have to cater to the whim of a kid walking up, seeing something, and wanting it RIGHT now, I'm making an argument for at least some stock to be sold with spacers. A lot of the kids I come in contact with don't want to order anything- if they have a $20 in their hand, it's getting spent that day. If the product isn't in the case, they're out of there.
Most shops aren't going to want to stock dual sku's (spindle sizes) in one particular manufacturers gear. You know I will, but there will be a lot who'll opt for the easier route. That'll impact your sales for sure.
Jay,
What a can of worms this is... you and I talked about it, some of our other dealers have also voiced the same concerns and some riders have made comments about wanting spacers so they can change spindles without having to buy another gear.
Maybe what I should do is offer the finished gears to the public and offer the "spacers required" gears to the dealers. Of course, if the public wants spacers, we'll sell them those as well.
We absolutely want to build something that the dealers will be interested in carrying, or at least selling. Most of our dealers don't stock our products anyway, they order them as customers request them.
It's definately a tough call, trying to keep the riders and the dealers happy at the same time.
Great input Jay!! I think it's really important for the riders to see the whole scope of things from both the manufacturer's and the dealer' point of view.
Ultimately, we need to come up with a products that they want and that you can provide to them without any hassles.
Thanks Bro,
Greg
What a can of worms this is... you and I talked about it, some of our other dealers have also voiced the same concerns and some riders have made comments about wanting spacers so they can change spindles without having to buy another gear.
Maybe what I should do is offer the finished gears to the public and offer the "spacers required" gears to the dealers. Of course, if the public wants spacers, we'll sell them those as well.
We absolutely want to build something that the dealers will be interested in carrying, or at least selling. Most of our dealers don't stock our products anyway, they order them as customers request them.
It's definately a tough call, trying to keep the riders and the dealers happy at the same time.
Great input Jay!! I think it's really important for the riders to see the whole scope of things from both the manufacturer's and the dealer' point of view.
Ultimately, we need to come up with a products that they want and that you can provide to them without any hassles.
Thanks Bro,
Greg
Bump! I didn't mean for my post to be a thread killer here, guys!
Come on guys... don't quit now... I need more input.
I know there are a lot of great ideas out there and this is the chance to share your wildest dreams. Tell me what you want.
Thanks, Greg
I know there are a lot of great ideas out there and this is the chance to share your wildest dreams. Tell me what you want.
Thanks, Greg
quote:A free lifetime supply of snap bmx products for my bikes and when I have kids, stuff for thier bikes also.
Tell me what you want.
Hey, you asked.
Gotta offer 22, 23 and 24t as well—Primo's Mix cassette hub comes with an 8t driver.
jj you have a valid point and the possible solution should work providing it doesn't add too much to the manufacturing process. I think the younger guys who have money in their pocket want to spend it and will accept the spacer option whereas others who understand things more are probably willing to wait for the shop to order and receive or get it directly from the manufacturer. I know most things I buy involve a waiting time because they aren't stocked.
Thanks to technology, custom items can now be manufactured more easily. Vans shoes and Levi jeans are examples although I can't name any bike component companies that do it to the same extent.
Thanks also for the explanation re different grades of aluminium.
Thanks to technology, custom items can now be manufactured more easily. Vans shoes and Levi jeans are examples although I can't name any bike component companies that do it to the same extent.
Thanks also for the explanation re different grades of aluminium.
Not Eddie Roman,
You guys run gears that smal??? How do you keep from breaking chains??
Thanks for your input, I would never have thought of going that small.
Good point Jarvi!!
You guys run gears that smal??? How do you keep from breaking chains??
Thanks for your input, I would never have thought of going that small.
Good point Jarvi!!
I run 36x13 with a FW. I have seen my friend seth replace the bearings in his driver atleast 4 times in 6months. THAT is no good, he run's the 25x9 deal. I personaly think it puts way too much stress on the driver/chain. Oh speaking of chains.....he brakes them all the time.
There is a grumble in the streetrider community that 44x16 and 44x14 is coming into play. People are trying to reach the speed of sound as there racing at a rail they plan on grinding up....with no pegs. ahhh the ever changing world of bmx.
There is a grumble in the streetrider community that 44x16 and 44x14 is coming into play. People are trying to reach the speed of sound as there racing at a rail they plan on grinding up....with no pegs. ahhh the ever changing world of bmx.
alexi,
Thanks for the input... that's exactly what I thought would happen. For now, it appears that the small gears will be around for awhile. I was always under the impression that the small gears were so they wouldn't hit when grinding.
Luckily, it's very easy to change our gears... so if the norm goes back to big, it's no big deal for us. We were thinking of going up to 39t... maybe we should think about adding more sizes up...
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks,
Thanks for the input... that's exactly what I thought would happen. For now, it appears that the small gears will be around for awhile. I was always under the impression that the small gears were so they wouldn't hit when grinding.
Luckily, it's very easy to change our gears... so if the norm goes back to big, it's no big deal for us. We were thinking of going up to 39t... maybe we should think about adding more sizes up...
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks,
Did anybody say extra bolt holes so that you can get more wear after the sprocket gets worn down?
I have a Fit 7075 sprocket (36 tooth) that I like, but even though it has two holes, only one of them is machined out in the back to provide clearance for the sprocket bolt. I took apart my drivetrain last night to tighten things up and noticed that the tooth opposite of the sprocket bolt is starting to get worn because the bolt was loose. It's still totally straight, though - it's way stronger than the other aluminum chainwheels I've bent up.
I don't have a problem with the little hat washers. Getting proper chain alignment with some frame and drivetrain combinations can be kind of tricky - a skinny Profile cone spacer on the drive side pushes my sprocket too far out, so I use just a hat washer by itself and it's fine.
I'm totally geeking out about washers and sprockets here. Pathetic.
I have a Fit 7075 sprocket (36 tooth) that I like, but even though it has two holes, only one of them is machined out in the back to provide clearance for the sprocket bolt. I took apart my drivetrain last night to tighten things up and noticed that the tooth opposite of the sprocket bolt is starting to get worn because the bolt was loose. It's still totally straight, though - it's way stronger than the other aluminum chainwheels I've bent up.
I don't have a problem with the little hat washers. Getting proper chain alignment with some frame and drivetrain combinations can be kind of tricky - a skinny Profile cone spacer on the drive side pushes my sprocket too far out, so I use just a hat washer by itself and it's fine.
I'm totally geeking out about washers and sprockets here. Pathetic.
BUB,
When you say they are not machined out, do you mean they have the counterbore for a washer, like the race gears used to have?? I thought they didn't need that anymore. With the new bottom brackets, I figured there was plenty of clearance.
We have come up with a 3,4, & 5 spoke design with the mathing bolt holes. I didn't think I would be adding the counterbores. If they are needed, I may have to re-think the designs.
Thanks BUB, that was really helpful.
Greg
When you say they are not machined out, do you mean they have the counterbore for a washer, like the race gears used to have?? I thought they didn't need that anymore. With the new bottom brackets, I figured there was plenty of clearance.
We have come up with a 3,4, & 5 spoke design with the mathing bolt holes. I didn't think I would be adding the counterbores. If they are needed, I may have to re-think the designs.
Thanks BUB, that was really helpful.
Greg
One of the bolt holes is counterbored on the back side and one isn't. I didn't try it, but I'm pretty sure that the bolt would rub the bottom bracket cup if I ran it in the other hole. I should mention that I'm running Profiles. The sprocket bolt for my Profiles is a regular mushroom shaped machine bolt, whereas the one on my Primos is contoured, kind of volcano-shaped. It's taller, but it provides a little clearance around the bb cup.
Like I said above, I'm not using a cone spacer on the drive side, just the hat washer, but with this setup I have a nice even chainline. The Kids probably don't put this much thought into this kind of stuff, but to me it's worth it to avoid popping a chain - not too fun.
Like I said above, I'm not using a cone spacer on the drive side, just the hat washer, but with this setup I have a nice even chainline. The Kids probably don't put this much thought into this kind of stuff, but to me it's worth it to avoid popping a chain - not too fun.
BUB,
We used to put the counterbore in our gears until the Euro bottom brackets became so popular. With them, the mushroom bolt doesn't rub.
If you get the opportunity, try swapping your gear around and see if it hits. I would really like to know. Maybe the street frames are a little different than the race frames.
You are right on in regards to the chain alignment... too many kids don't pay any attention to that. That, in itself, causes many problems that get blamed on the gears.
The hat washer you mentioned, I'm guessing that is part of the spacer in the spindle hole... right?? Would the lack of a spacer with the hat shape also cause your poor chain alignment? If our gears required no spacer, would this cause poor alignment or could this be easily fixed? I'm lost on this issue...
Thanks for the comments,
Greg
We used to put the counterbore in our gears until the Euro bottom brackets became so popular. With them, the mushroom bolt doesn't rub.
If you get the opportunity, try swapping your gear around and see if it hits. I would really like to know. Maybe the street frames are a little different than the race frames.
You are right on in regards to the chain alignment... too many kids don't pay any attention to that. That, in itself, causes many problems that get blamed on the gears.
The hat washer you mentioned, I'm guessing that is part of the spacer in the spindle hole... right?? Would the lack of a spacer with the hat shape also cause your poor chain alignment? If our gears required no spacer, would this cause poor alignment or could this be easily fixed? I'm lost on this issue...
Thanks for the comments,
Greg
Sorry if I wasn't clear - I was talking about one of these -
http://www.alansbmx.com/images/tophatTB.jpg
- that sits on the spindle and go into the hole on the sprocket; the part that I think you want to eliminate. The "brim" of the hat washer gives me just enough clearance away from the bb so that it doesn't rub, but doesn't push it out so far as to mess up my chainline. A lot of guys who run Profiles run a skinny cone spacer (like these) -
http://www.tenpackbmx.com/products/bottom_...spacekit-sm.jpg
- on their drive side (in addition to the hat spacer) and the bigger one on the non-drive side. But when I changed recently to the Fit sprocket (which I think is a little thicker than the one I was using before), it wasn't quite right.
My frame is a Fit Series One, a pretty basic straight-forward design, with an American BB and a 14.25" chainstay. I've heard about people having problems with drive alignment with some newer frames, like the FBM Deployer, but can't speak to that from first hand experience. I've also seen someone offering an aftermarket chainline adjustment kit (I thought it was Tree) but don't remember for certain.
I don't think that a spacer-less sprocket would necessarily effect the chainline - you could just use little skinny washers to get it right. As other people have said, you'd have to offer different sprockets for different spindle sizes. It would be nice and neat, though, be one less thing to fail, and might be less prone to get gunked up with dirt and concrete dust (not that I grind all the time, but some) and grease.
The reason I chimed in on all this was because I haven't had any problems using hat washers on my spindle, and in my case makes it easier. I'm getting a new chain next week and when I put it on I'll let you know if the bolt fits on the non-counterbored side.
http://www.alansbmx.com/images/tophatTB.jpg
- that sits on the spindle and go into the hole on the sprocket; the part that I think you want to eliminate. The "brim" of the hat washer gives me just enough clearance away from the bb so that it doesn't rub, but doesn't push it out so far as to mess up my chainline. A lot of guys who run Profiles run a skinny cone spacer (like these) -
http://www.tenpackbmx.com/products/bottom_...spacekit-sm.jpg
- on their drive side (in addition to the hat spacer) and the bigger one on the non-drive side. But when I changed recently to the Fit sprocket (which I think is a little thicker than the one I was using before), it wasn't quite right.
My frame is a Fit Series One, a pretty basic straight-forward design, with an American BB and a 14.25" chainstay. I've heard about people having problems with drive alignment with some newer frames, like the FBM Deployer, but can't speak to that from first hand experience. I've also seen someone offering an aftermarket chainline adjustment kit (I thought it was Tree) but don't remember for certain.
I don't think that a spacer-less sprocket would necessarily effect the chainline - you could just use little skinny washers to get it right. As other people have said, you'd have to offer different sprockets for different spindle sizes. It would be nice and neat, though, be one less thing to fail, and might be less prone to get gunked up with dirt and concrete dust (not that I grind all the time, but some) and grease.
The reason I chimed in on all this was because I haven't had any problems using hat washers on my spindle, and in my case makes it easier. I'm getting a new chain next week and when I put it on I'll let you know if the bolt fits on the non-counterbored side.
Thanks BUB,
That's the kind of advice I need. I didn't know about the cone spacers. Pictures really helped.
I spoke with a dealer lastnight and he said that of the four different brands of gears he carries, none of them have counterbores for the bolt. Go figure...
Keep me posted on whether yours works in a new location. You can always pm me.
Thanks,
Greg
That's the kind of advice I need. I didn't know about the cone spacers. Pictures really helped.
I spoke with a dealer lastnight and he said that of the four different brands of gears he carries, none of them have counterbores for the bolt. Go figure...
Keep me posted on whether yours works in a new location. You can always pm me.
Thanks,
Greg
Well, looks like we have finally settled on three designs for our new street gears.
We are planning on going into production this weekend and should have some pics in @ 3-4 weeks.
Thank you to all of those who gave us input!!!
We are planning on going into production this weekend and should have some pics in @ 3-4 weeks.
Thank you to all of those who gave us input!!!
The wait is almost over...
Our new gears are coming in from anodizing on Tuesday of next week. We will do the final machining & engraving and by Labor Day weekend, we will have finished products.
I will take some photos to post, so everyone can see the end result. I will be looking for reviews of course...
Thanks to all of the inputs on this project.
Greg
Our new gears are coming in from anodizing on Tuesday of next week. We will do the final machining & engraving and by Labor Day weekend, we will have finished products.
I will take some photos to post, so everyone can see the end result. I will be looking for reviews of course...
Thanks to all of the inputs on this project.
Greg
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